Summer
by ShaneBLAST
Summary: Third sequel to Secret Lover. The summer after Xander left. How the gang deals and how Giles went crazy.
1. Guilt

**Chapter One: Guilt**

**3rd sequel the Secret Lover Series**

**Set during the summer inbetween season's 2 and 3**

**Chapter Summary: Willow's thoughts on the past month and a tearful conversation with Angel.**

Willow sat on her bed. She missed Xander more than anyone in Sunnydale, with the exception of Angel obviously. How could she have been so blind? So stupid to think he was evil. This was all Giles's fault. If he hadn't been so prejudiced against Angel none of this would have happened. Xander would still be in Sunnydale, him and Angel would be together, Buffy wouldn't be alienating everyone because of guilt, and Kendra wouldn't be dead because of Buffy's carelessness during a fight.

"Kendra." Willow thought. She deserved better than the death she got. Buffy should have paid closer attention. But I guess we've all been paying the price for our betrayal. But taking Kendra away from us, the one girl that COULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE of taking Buffy's place AND WHO SHOULD HAVE taken Buffy's place while Buffy emotionally recuperated from Xander leaving.

But no. Buffy was too proud for that. Too stubborn. And Willow didn't blame her. That was who Buffy was. And she knew Buffy couldn't stay down for very long. But then again Even Xander blocked that punch when they tried to take him down, how could she have stood up against Drusilla and Spike?

Kendra was in Sunnydale for the summer, but it only lasted for three weeks, before her untimely death. Her, Buffy, Willow, and Oz were hunting for Spike and Drusilla. They found them gorging on a kid, who couldn't have been more than 17. Buffy had said it was this guy she knew, Scott Hope or whatever. Oh well. He thought she was gay anyway, she had said. No big loss.

Buffy had knocked Spike of the battle instantly, well, not exactly. She sent him and his wheelchair flying down the road. But still...that was funny to watch. Kendra went for Drusilla, which lasted for a few blows, but unfortunately, Drusilla knew a little bit of magic, and froze us all in time to have a conversation with Buffy, or so she told me.

**FLASHBACK **

--Four weeks prior--

Whoosh. The gang was frozen excpet for Buffy. Drusilla looked at Buffy, with actual sanity in her gaze. "Buffy...your pals are doomed. You got rid of the boy, and he was the only thing holding you all together. This here," She motioned at the frozen gang, "Will all end soon, they don't like you much anymore. Why did you let the book man take the boy away from Daddy? Daddy loved the boy. very much so. Why?"

Buffy hung her head low, her feelings starting to show, "I was jealous. I loved Angel, and I didn't want him with anyone else. God Drusilla what am I going to do? Giles is practically hunting Xander and we're all starting to hate him."

Drusilla looked down on Buffy with pity, but it was soon replaced with anger, "You're the slayer. You should have thought of the consequences of your actions before you acted."

Buffy knew this was true. But what happened next she was totally unprepared for.

Drusilla walked over to the frozen form of Kendra, who had a fixed sneer on her face. "This one, she's so full of life. All she knows is doing good and slaying. It will be her death that drives you all over the edge. It will be her death that saves you from the book man's thrall."

Drusilla took a dagger from her pocket, and stabbed Kendra in the gut. She then took the spell off of the gang, and Kendra fell to the ground.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Willow sighed and looked over to her sliding glass door. Angel was standing there, staring at her. Willow half-smiled. She had formed a friendship with Angel soon after Xander left. She was the one who inadvertedly let Angel escape and convinced Giles that there was nothing Angel could have done to stop Xander from leaving. Since then, they had been thick as thieves. Not even her and Buffy were this close.

Willow made a hand gesture for him to come in and he did, sliding the door closed behind him. "Hey." He said quietly. "Hi." She said, feeling instantly better.

"Any news?" She said hopefully.

"Yeah," Angel said, a bouncy tone in his voice. Willow hadn't heard tone of voice from him in a very long time. "He's got a job down there, and he's having a great time. I wish I could go and visit him but I'm scared to leave you all here with Giles."

Giles had become increasingly unstable since Xander had left. He blamed Xander for Jenny's death. His exact quote was, "He could have stopped her. He could convinced him not to kill her."

After that; Willow, Oz, and Buffy stopped talking to Giles. Buffy sent a letter to the Watcher's council, stating Giles was emotionally unstable since Jenny's death, which lead to him being officially fired as Buffy's watcher. A new watcher was to be sent sometime in September.

Angel sat by Willow on her bed. She lay down, staring at the ceiling. "So, do you and Buffy talk much?" Angel inquired.

Willow frowned, "We do, some. But she's really focused on slaying right now, I guess she feels guilty for what happened to Kendra. And after the Xander fiasco, she can't be a happy camper at all. I would just be getting in her way."

Angel reached over and ran his thumb over her hand reassuringly, "He says he's going to stay there until Giles leaves. Hopefully that will be sometime soon, in the meantime, all we can hope is that he's safe. Right?"

"Right." Willow said, but her mind was already drifting off to sleep.

"G'night Will," Angel said, and with that he opened her door and walked out, dissapearing into the darkness.

Author's Note:

Well, I originally wanted to end the series with Bargaining, the original ending had Angel turning Xander, killing him, then suicide by sunlight. But I figured that to be too emo, so I decided not to use it.

So I left it open, but hadn't planned on writing anything else for it.

Until now.

I was reading the series over again, and I realized there was much more to this story.

And this is the result. A brand spanking new entry to the series.

And believe me, I have no idea what's in store for the next chapter.


	2. Dead on the Dancefloor

**Chapter 2: Dead on the Dancefloor **

**Warnings: Violence, mild language**

**Chapter summary: Buffy's way of dealing with Xander leaving, and an unlikely source of comfort helps Buffy come to terms with the situation.**

Buffy's kick landed where she wanted it to. It took the vampire off of the catwalk and made him hit the pool table below, causing screams of panic at his face to be heard. "Ugh..." The vampire sighed out, in obvious pain of the fall. He wasn't a newbie like Buffy thought he was, but he was still inexperienced in the ways of fighting. Especially with a Slayer. Or...so she thought rather.

"Ugh?" Buffy said in response. "Is that all you can muster? Because I gotta tell you that's not much of a battle cry." Buffy thought for a minute, and smiled. "But this is." She jumped off of the catwalk and onto the pool table, straddling the vampire while putting her arms up in faux mock cheer. "Oh Jesus Christ can we get on with the fighting already?" The vampire said, a bored tone in his voice.

Buffy punched him in the face. "Excuse much. Rude or anything." The vampire grabbed her, throwing her off of him and off of the pool table. She rolled and skidded to a stop on the dancefloor. "Yay. A good fight. This oughta work off the excess guilt," Buffy thought. She picked herself up and pulled out a stake. The vampire strutted over to her, his arms raised in a fighting stance.

"Isn't this poetic?" He stated. "You'll be dead on the dancefloor," He then took the opportunity to lunge at her. She ducked and rolled his way and he tripped over her, crashing into the stage.

Buffy immediatley got up off of the floor and jumped onto the stage. He tried to get up but Buffy kicked him back down. "No. You stay down," Buffy mock scholded. He grabbed her leg and pulled, causing her to loose her balance and fall.

He got back up and she made an attempt to, and succeeded. For a short time. She went to punch him in the face, but something wasn't right. She flashed back to what she did to Xander and stopped in mid punch.

He looked at her, a confused look on his demonic face. He quickly morphed back human, "What's wrong?" He asked. "It's nothing." She stated, still backing off.

"No. Tell me." He repeated, a stern tone in his voice. "I used to be a high school counselor, I think I can help you with your problems." He said, his tone softening and changing to concerned.

She sighed. "You see, a few months ago I slept with my now ex boyfriend. He was a vampire, but he had his soul. He lost it and he went evil. Killed a very close friend of mine. A few weeks after he killed her I found out my best friend, who turned out to be bisexual, was sleeping with him. I got so pissed. And the lady that was killed, she worked up at the school and she dated my Watcher, a Watcher is someone who-"

The vampire blinked and interrupted, "Yes I know what a Watcher is. I was a counselor for a long time. I think the Slayer before you went to the high school I used to work at."

Buffy was stunned. "Well, continue!" The vampire said. "Anyway, he went completely insane and somehow convinced us all my friend was evil, I have a little group of friends, they help me with slaying sometimes. Anyway, my friend left town and now I feel so guilty because I had tried to punch him like I did you. I flashed back and I couldn't do it."

"Did your watcher do anything else?" The vampire asked, interested in what Buffy had to say.

"Yeah. But this is probably my fault. He convinced my friend, who's a witch, to restore my exes soul. His real intention was to get my friend away from the vampire that killed his girlfriend,. and hopefully have him killed. Regardless whether it was his fault or not."

"Wow. Has your watcher tried to kill your ex?" The vampire asked.

"No. And it doesn't make sense that he won't. I guess since he went crazy after Jenny, the teacher that was killed, died he thought it was my friend's fault that she died. He said that he could have stopped him. But he didn't. And now that my ex has his soul back, I guess he finds that torment enough."

"But," Buffy sighed. "In his quest to find my friend and kill him, he was fired by the Watcher's Council. I'm supposed to get a new one in the Fall. After school starts back."

"Huh." The vampire said, he then looked back at Buffy, "Have you talked to your friend?"

Buffy huffed, a guilty expression appeared on her face. "No. He's in Los Angeles right now and the only person that has contact with him is my ex, and me and my ex aren't exactly what you would call close. After trying to kill his boyfriend I'd say he's pretty pissed at me. He talks to my other friend though, ya know the witch. She saved him from my Watcher because he had let my friend escape."

The vampire thought for a minute, and then said, "Well you should try and get in touch with him. And also you might consider talking to your ex. It might help matters a little."

Buffy smiled at him, "Thanks. You've been a real help."

"One last question though. When your ex lost his soul and he was sleeping with your friend, did he love him?"

Buffy thought for a minute, and smiled. "Yeah. I think he really did."

Cordelia decided she'd join the conversation and walk up onstage, "So that's where Harris has been this whole time? Angel wouldn't tell me."

The vampire stared at Cordelia's neck hungrily, then turned to Buffy, "Can I eat her? She's kind of annoying."

Buffy shrugged. Cordelia screamed. The vampire lunged for her.

But, Cordelia had a plan. No, wait...she had a pencil. Good enough.

As the vampire lunged for her, she stabbed the pencil through his heart.

The vampire turned to dust and Buffy looked at Cordelia. "You do know I knew you were going to do that? If you hadn't I was just going to throw the stake at the vampire and kill it that way right?"

Cordelia looked at Buffy, thought for a minute, and nodded. "Yeah. I had a pretty big clue you wouldn't let me get chomped. I'm too popular."

Buffy giggled. "Do you think you could give me a ride home?"

Author's note:

Yes, I realize this is a whole lot different than the past in the series. Well, if you think about it, this is a whole lot better written. Because of the stress taken off of me by school ending and summer vacation beginning :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I decided to give this a try and write more on this series.

And yes. Conversations With Dead People did inspire this chapter.

And this entry into the series is going to have a lot more to do with Giles and the rest of the gang, rather than Xander. Xander doesn't show til the last few chapters...which will just be Angel/Xander cuteness.


End file.
